An extended x-ray absorption fine structure study of aqueous rare earth perchlorate solutions in liquid and glassy states

Abstract

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements were performed for concentrated aqueous rare earth perchlorate solutions (R=28; R is the moles of water per mole of salt) in the liquid state at room temperature and in the glassy state at liquid nitrogen temperature. The quantitative analysis of the EXAFS data has revealed that the hydration number changes from about nine for light rare earth ions to about eight for heavy rare earth ions through the intermediate ions of Sm3+ ∼Eu3+ in both liquid and glassy states. The average Ln3+ –OH2 distances were determined and they are in agreement with previously reported values from x-ray and neutron diffraction. The Debye–Waller factor of the average Ln3+ –OH2 bonds for the light rare earth ions was larger than that for the heavy ions, suggesting that the hydration shell of the light rare earth ions is statically disordered, consisting of different Ln3+ –OH2 bonds.